As is known, piping, tubing and other cylindrically shaped articles are commonly stored at and shipped from its place of manufacture to a place where the piping, tubing or cylindrically shaped articles are used or processed. During this storage and/or shipping it is common practice for the piping, tubing and/or articles to be stacked in layers on a flat deck trailer requiring the use of a support chock to provide lateral stability to the bottom layer and prevent/limit side to side movement and/or a shipping truck or railroad car.
And because the piping, tubing or cylindrically shaped articles are subject to lateral rolling movement, any agitation of the stack may cause the piping, tubing or cylindrically shaped articles to shift and/or roll off of the board or timber and the entire stack may rapidly collapse. This is undesirable because the piping, tubing or cylindrically shaped articles may have a substantial weight component and, once the stack becomes unstable, the piping, tubing or cylindrically shaped articles may begin to roll and rapidly gathering momentum. This can cause the shipping vehicle to become unbalance thereby causing an accident. Additionally, this can be extremely dangerous to nearby people and property.
In order to overcome this problem, the stack should be stabilized so that rolling and other movement of the piping, tubing or cylindrically shaped articles is avoided, both during shipment and storage. One way this stabilization has been accomplished is by using one or more chocks to prop up and prevent the stack from rolling and other lateral movement. For example, one type of chock includes securely nailing a large block of wood, such as a 2×4, to the subjacent board next to each end of each row or layer of piping, tubing or cylindrically shaped articles. This prevents the piping, tubing or cylindrically shaped articles from rolling or other lateral movement. Unfortunately however, this type of chock is difficult to install and remove this chock if ever it becomes necessary or desirable to vary the number of pipe lengths in a given row or if it is desired to reuse the chock boards after the pipes have been removed. While other types of chocks that don't utilize a nail or securing element are available, these chocks are not structural in nature and do not provide a safe and positive method of securing the piping, tubing or cylindrically shaped articles and/or preventing/limiting movement.